Suncor chief: We’re greener than you think!

By

Russell Gold

Mar 23, 2009 6:27 pm ET

Suncor has begun selling its planned acquisition of Petro-Canada by saying it will create a company that is large, efficient, well capitalized and green.

Green?

That’s the somewhat surprising message out of Calgary today. In a press conference and in a later telephone interview, Suncor chief Rick George touted all the things CEOs usually tout when companies merge—“shareholder value,” “operating efficiencies,” “win-win”—and one that might seem out of place when announcing the combination of two of the largest operators in Canada’s large and decidedly un-green oil sands industry.

“You have two companies that have been environmentally some of the most progressive companies in Canada,” Mr. George said in an interview.